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Just wondering if the over-protectiveness of some big city parents extends to most small towns (say, less than 5,000 people).
For example, do most elementary school kids in your town walk by themselves to and from the bus stop, can they play at the neighborhood park with other kids without an adult being there, etc.?
I live in an area of Southern Indiana where there is a cluster of small towns. All are less than 1K aside from Corydon being a little over 3K
Most of them you see kids riding bikes around the neighborhoods, up to the corner store for candy, etc... The small towns still have the safety that allows this, aside from the crackheads who come out every few days but they tend to not bother kids lol
I was interested to read a discussion of child care where someone was mentioning that their children are not allowed to be unconfined until they are 7 or 8. I was raised on a farm, and wandered freely from age 4. My grandmother lived in town, and after I started the first grade I could walk to her house after school. Nowadays they keep kids behind chain link fences and they are not allowed to do anything on their own.
I live in rural Wyoming, but two years ago I lived in the fifth largest city in California. Let me tell you it's like night and day difference between kids being allowed freedom to play outside or walking to the bus stop.
In California the kids all are driven to school, or they ride the bus. Even if they live a very short walk to the school in perfect weather, in a gated community no less, the parents still drive them to school every day. It was maddening. Kids couldnt ride their bikes around their neighborhood without you being told that it was dangerous and that they could be kidnapped. This happened to us, and our kids were riding their bikes on our property at the time.
Now we live in Wyoming where the kids walk to/from the bus stop daily, even in rainy/snowy weather they walk home. The kids ride their bikes around he neighborhood with their friends, or over to the creek to play a half mile from our house. No worries about anyone snatching the kids, the neighbors look out for the kids and it's just such a better lifestyle. My kids are getting freedoms now that they didn't have in California.
My kids have more freedom here in Milwaukee than they did in rural Upper Peninsula. They walk to school alone, ride bikes around the neighborhood, go out in search of their friends, etc. They're 8 and 9. There was nowhere for them to go in the U.P..
All children up until 12 are to be in the supervision of an adult. No matter where they are. Our malls no longer allow anyone under 16 to hang out. They are restricted after 6pm to be there with no supervision.
Kids are picked up at school stops. If walking home there is a high school student assigned to walk the route. It's sad that kids are lock key kids.
I can't imagine letting my grandkids play at a park by themselves. A fall or an injury. No adult around. Yikes!
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